Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lanka Rifle Corps (SLRC) a (reserve
) regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of two volunteer (reserve
) battalions. It has been formed with personnel from the central highlands and the many plantations in the Central Province of Sri Lanka
. It is the only regiment of the Sri Lanka Army that recruits its personnel from a particular geographical area.
planters in the central highlands of Ceylon formed a volunteer regiment called the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
in 1887 which was attached to the Ceylon Defence Force. This regiment was disbanded when the Ceylon Army was formed in 1949.
In the 1980s the management of the many plantations called for the recreation of a volunteer Rifle Corps in the highlands. Due these requests two battalions were raised in Pallekele and Neuchatel Estate Neboda on 15 February 1985 by Brigadier
G. R. Jayasinghe
, assisted by Lt-Colonel Wettasinghe and Captain P. Abeyratne. The first commanding Officers were Lieutenant Colonel
(later General) Ranjan Wijeratne
(2nd Battalion) who was the Chairman of the State Plantations Corporation and Lieutenant Colonel
P.R Seneviratne (1st Battalion) who was the Chairman of the Janatha Estate Development Board.
These two battalions have deployed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces due to the Civil War
. Currently the regiment is deployed in the Central Province provides security to the vital sectors of dam
s and hydroelectric projects. A detachment is maintained by the regiment in Kandy
for the protection of the Temple of the Tooth
.
Military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
) regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of two volunteer (reserve
Military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
) battalions. It has been formed with personnel from the central highlands and the many plantations in the Central Province of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It is the only regiment of the Sri Lanka Army that recruits its personnel from a particular geographical area.
History
The origins of the Rifle Corps can be traced back to the colonial era when the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
planters in the central highlands of Ceylon formed a volunteer regiment called the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps was a regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed...
in 1887 which was attached to the Ceylon Defence Force. This regiment was disbanded when the Ceylon Army was formed in 1949.
In the 1980s the management of the many plantations called for the recreation of a volunteer Rifle Corps in the highlands. Due these requests two battalions were raised in Pallekele and Neuchatel Estate Neboda on 15 February 1985 by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
G. R. Jayasinghe
G. R. Jayasinghe
Brigadier G. R. Jayasinghe, SLAOC was a Sri Lankan military officer, who was the former head of the Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps and founder of the Sri Lanka Rifle Corps in 1984....
, assisted by Lt-Colonel Wettasinghe and Captain P. Abeyratne. The first commanding Officers were Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
(later General) Ranjan Wijeratne
Ranjan Wijeratne
General Ranjan Wijeratne was the former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of foreign affairs, Minister of State for defense and Minister of plantation industries from 1989 to 1991 in President Ranasinghe Premadasa's cabinet.-Early life:Born to Walpola Mudalige George Hercules Wijeratne and Rosalind...
(2nd Battalion) who was the Chairman of the State Plantations Corporation and Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
P.R Seneviratne (1st Battalion) who was the Chairman of the Janatha Estate Development Board.
These two battalions have deployed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces due to the Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. Currently the regiment is deployed in the Central Province provides security to the vital sectors of dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s and hydroelectric projects. A detachment is maintained by the regiment in Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
for the protection of the Temple of the Tooth
Temple of the Tooth
Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is...
.
Notable members
- GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Ranjan WijeratneRanjan WijeratneGeneral Ranjan Wijeratne was the former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of foreign affairs, Minister of State for defense and Minister of plantation industries from 1989 to 1991 in President Ranasinghe Premadasa's cabinet.-Early life:Born to Walpola Mudalige George Hercules Wijeratne and Rosalind...
- Former Minister of Foreign Affairs & Minister of State for Defence. - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Surendra Lal Wijewardene - Former AdjutantAdjutantAdjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the SLRC